Chapter Thirteen: The Flowers Are Dark, The Willows Are Bright

  The next day, the mountain terrain gradually flattened, and the two of them left the Kuangcang Mountain area, continuing northward. Along the way, there were occasional appearances of skilled fighters from the Tianji Palace, but Minggui cleverly evaded them every time, always managing to escape first. He tried to gain Liang Xiao's trust by showing him kindness and even helped him recover from his injuries through qigong therapy. Occasionally, he would ask Liang Xiao about the "Sancai Guiyuan Palm" and the Stone Array martial arts, but Liang Xiao pretended not to hear or understand. Minggui was secretly furious: "You stinky little brat, you think you're so capable? You can't even compare to my Water Mill skills! Hmph, once we've succeeded, I'll tear you limb from limb and feed you to the fish in the river!" He had a lot of patience, but his heart was seething with anger, while his face remained smiling and calm.

  After traveling for more than a month, they crossed the Fuchun River and the misty waves of Taihu Lake were already in front of them. The two hired a boat to cross the lake, following the Grand Canal northward. To avoid Tianji Palace's pursuit, their boat traveled day and night without stopping at any shore. With nothing else to do, Liang Xiao began to engage in witty repartee with Minggui. Except for arithmetic, where he was not as skilled as Liang Xiao, Minggui's knowledge was vast and profound, covering all the classics and scriptures. He could quote from memory, citing chapter and verse, his words flowing smoothly. Liang Xiao listened intently, nodding in agreement, deeply feeling that this man had been suppressed by Hua Wenyue for many years, truly a great talent wasted.

  On this day, the boat approached Suzhou. Minggui said: "After passing Taihu Lake, Tianji Palace's power will not reach here, we can settle down in northern Suzhou and plan for a big event." Liang Xiao's injuries had mostly healed, and he spent his days thinking of escape routes. Upon hearing this, he just smiled. Suddenly, the boat owner came to report that they were out of rice and grains. Minggui didn't dare show his face during the day, so he instructed them to make plans after sunset.

  As night was falling, the small boat sailed with the remaining sunset glow and approached the riverbank. Suddenly, a commotion was heard from the shore. Ming Gui's heart felt uneasy, so he ordered the boatman to retreat back to the middle of the river and pulled Liang Xiao into the cabin. He lifted up the curtain and took a look, seeing that the riverbank was dark and shadowy with many people moving about. Suddenly, a loud and coarse voice shouted: "Where's a decent doctor around here? What's the point of keeping this bunch of useless trash?" Then came two slapping sounds, as if someone had been slapped in the face.

  A slightly hoarse female voice said: "Dalan, don't blame them, this is a poor and remote place, where can you find a decent doctor? Besides, this injury is not something that an ordinary doctor can cure!" A rough and loud voice said: "You're still talking, if it wasn't for you choosing to take the water route to chase after the female thief, Xing'er wouldn't have gotten hurt, would she? And what about your third uncle, who's always being flattered to the skies, but when it comes down to it, he doesn't even show up. Hmph, dozens of men, and they can't even catch one woman!"

  "Fine, Mr. Lei! You're good at hitting people, aren't you? Xing'er is my son, and he's been hurt like this - don't you think I'm heartbroken? It was also your idea to split the troops into three routes: Big Brother led the group on land, we took the water route, and Third Uncle went his own way. Besides, a father must have a son who is just as good, humph! If it weren't for your good-for-nothing son having lustful intentions, he wouldn't have been hurt like this!"

  "Coarse throat angrily said: 'How can there be a father and son? You say, all these years, when did I not treat you well?' The woman coldly hummed: 'I reckon you don't dare!' Suddenly hearing a noise, the woman cried out in a lost voice: 'Ah, it's happening again! Husband, there's no other way, Star is afraid... afraid she won't make it through tonight!' As she spoke, she sobbed uncontrollably."

  The rough-voiced man was silent for a moment, then said: "I have a plan. Second daughter, you stay on the shore, boatman, set sail." The woman asked strangely: "What are you doing?" The rough-voiced man said: "Don't ask." After speaking, he hurriedly urged the boatman to push off from the shore. Before long, the boat reached the middle of the river, not far from Ming and Liang's boat. A flash of fire appeared in that boat, and a candle was lit, because the curtain was half rolled up, one could vaguely see the situation inside the cabin. Only saw a leg placed on the couch, from the knee down it was purple and green, the skin was tight and shiny, compared to ordinary legs, it was about twice as thick.

  A young man exclaimed, "Dad, what are you doing with that knife?" The rough voice sighed and said, "Xing Er, there's no other way." The young man was shocked and cried out, "Ah yo, no!" The rough voice sighed again, "Xing Er, you were hit by Tian Shan's 'Zhuā Luó Zhǐ' at the Fú Tuò穴 point, and the blood below your knees has congealed. If we don't do anything, not only will your calf be ruined, but your entire leg will rot." The young man said, "Half a leg is still a leg, and an entire leg is also a leg, what's the difference?" The rough voice said, "That may be true, but this injury is strange. I'm afraid that in another hour, your liver, intestines, spleen, and kidneys will all be damaged too, and even Da Luo Jin Xian won't be able to save you then. Good child, a poisonous snake bites the hand, a brave warrior cuts off his wrist. You are a good son of the Lei family, so be brave."

  Young man hastily said: "I... I'm not a cripple, Dad, my name is no longer Leixing, it's better to change it to Chuxing... Third Uncle Wu's martial arts are unparalleled, he will definitely save me..." A rough voice shouted loudly: "You little scoundrel, you're just slightly injured and you don't even recognize your ancestors? Don't talk nonsense..." Leixing let out a shrill cry: "Mom... he wants to cut off my leg..." The cry was mournful and echoed far away.

  The woman on the shore heard it, and was shocked and angry, but she couldn't swim, so she couldn't go forward to stop him. She jumped her feet anxiously and shouted: "Xing'er, Xing'er... are you okay? Lei Zhen, what evil are you doing? Don't you dare...!" Before she finished speaking, another long and mournful cry was heard, the woman's feet stumbled, and she suddenly sat down on the ground.

  Liang Xiao saw that in the cabin, a cold light flashed, and the wounded leg was cut off at the thigh, with dark purple blood flowing all over the bed. Lei Xing let out a miserable cry and fainted. The cabin was quiet for a moment, with only rough breathing sounds, he personally cut off his beloved son's leg, and his heart was not light either.

  Roughly, the old man finished bandaging his son's wound and returned to shore. As soon as he landed, the woman jumped into the cabin and started slapping sounds, guessing that she was hitting her husband's ears. The man endured the slaps without making a sound. After being hit several times, the woman seemed to understand her husband's kindness and sobbed: "If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have come out... it's all because of that pure yang iron box..." As soon as Liang Xiao heard the four words "pure yang iron box", his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly perked up his ears.

  The woman didn't finish speaking, when a rough voice cut her off and angrily said: "Second wife, what nonsense are you talking about..." For a moment, she was choked with anger and couldn't continue. The woman thought to herself that she was in the wrong, and after being scolded by her husband, she didn't dare to retort back, but only continued to sob silently. The man loudly said: "I'll continue to chase after that cheap person with Second Wife, you all escort Young Master back to the castle." Everyone responded in unison. That woman hatefully said: "That's right, it's really that little cheap thing surnamed Liu who is to blame, if I don't chop her into pieces and mince her, it'll be hard to vent the hatred in my heart!" The two of them made a decision, and set off northwards by boat, while the others also rode horses and drove carts, each going their separate ways.

  Liang Xiao hadn't heard the news about the Pure Yang Iron Box, and he felt uneasy in his heart. But then he thought again, Dahe Shang and Wu Changqing said that the iron box was worthless, so it probably wasn't anything special. He turned around to look, and Ming Gui was stroking his beard in deep thought, so he asked: "Old man, do you know what these people are up to?" Ming Gui coldly smiled and said: "River and lake rascals, who cares what they're doing?" Liang Xiao heard this and didn't ask again.

  The next day, the boat entered Suzhou. The hills and lakes were surrounded by bridges and waterways, and Liang Xiao eagerly looked at the scenery, sticking his head out of the cabin and standing at the bow of the boat. Suddenly, he heard joyful voices and laughter, and when he looked up, he saw that the buildings on both banks were filled with beautifully made-up women. When the women saw him looking over, they all waved their hands to greet him. Liang Xiao found it strange but also smiled in response. The women burst into a fit of giggles, waving their red handkerchiefs and green sleeves, and called out to him in soft voices to come up.

  Liang Xiao didn't know the other person's background, so he asked Ming Gui: "What do they want me to do?" Ming Gui smiled slyly and said: "They're inviting you to enter a place of warmth and tenderness, to taste the rouge and tears!" Liang Xiao furrowed his brow and said: "Ming Lao, if you have something to say, just say it, don't beat around the bush with me." Ming Gui laughed and said: "This is a brothel, these women are all courtesans." Liang Xiao was surprised and asked: "What's a courtesan?"

  Ming Gui smiled and said, "This is not easy to say, you have to experience it yourself to understand." Liang Xiao's ears perked up at this, and he said, "Well, I'd like to see what it's all about." Ming Gui gave him a once-over, thinking to himself that he had been trying every trick in the book to get this young man to let his guard down and reveal some secrets. And now, with wine involved, people were most likely to make mistakes - just get him drunk on beauty and booze, and no matter what you asked him, he'd probably spill everything. Thinking this, Ming Gui smiled faintly and urged the boat to reach the shore.

  Among the boats, by a small stone bridge in the distance, a horse and rider came. Minggui was an experienced traveler who knew his goods at a glance, and he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. The horse was pure white all over, with a spirited skeleton, just as the physiognomy books said: "Head held high like an eagle, tail hanging down like a swallow, born with two hooves, dragon bones and orchid tendons." As they drew closer, Minggui saw that the horse wasn't entirely white, its coat splashed with several points of deep red, like a beautiful woman's face with unevenly applied rouge.

  The one leading the horse was a woman in green, wearing a fine willow-leaf hat, with branches and leaves that hadn't yet fallen, covering her face. Her entire body was clad in light green silk clothes, also tied up with willow branches, her slender waist could be grasped by one hand. The white horse was truly too spirited, Ming Hui only looked at the horse, without paying attention to the woman. The woman in green saw the women on both banks laughing and chatting with Liang Xiao, seemingly finding it interesting as well, she leaned against the slanting bridge, stopping to watch.

  The boat docked. Minggui changed his mind again, thinking to himself that he was already old and it would be unbecoming for him to go in and out of brothels with young people. Moreover, with him around, this young man would be cautious and not dare to indulge in debauchery. It's better to hide aside and observe secretly. Thinking so, he poured out half a bag of gold and pearls, and said with a smile: "Liang Xiao, I'm feeling a bit sleepy, you go ahead by yourself, I'll wait for you on the boat. If the money is not enough, come find me again."

  Liang Xiao was greatly surprised in his heart: "The old man let me go ashore alone, it's really strange. However, he gave me gold and silver, and allowed me to have fun, I abandoned him and left, which is not very righteous." He had been with Minggui for a long time, and Minggui deliberately pulled him along the way. Liang Xiao had always valued relationships, once he formed a bond with someone, it was difficult for him to abandon them overnight.

  He was lost in thought, walking with his head down after landing on the shore. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a bell ringing beside his ear, and a tall horse brushed past him. Liang Xiao raised an eyebrow, only to see a green skirt fluttering by, but he didn't pay attention. After walking for over ten steps, he saw a large wooden building with many women standing on it, dressed in eye-catching attire. At this time, the shopkeeper had already come forward and welcomed him in.

  In the Song Dynasty, many wine houses and brothels were located together, without distinction. The lower floor was a wine house with a flower hall, while the upper floor was a brothel with courtesans. Courtesans were further divided into official and private ones, with official courtesans having a higher status, but private courtesans being more free-spirited. However, regardless of whether they were official or private, they all sold their smiles and joy, and amidst the splendor, there was inevitably hidden desolation.

  Liang Xiao explained his intention, and the attendant led him upstairs. The madam smiled and came out to greet him. Minggui was good at reading people's minds, and he was elegant and refined. Liang Xiao followed him, and he was always well-dressed. The madam was experienced in worldly affairs, and with a glance, she knew that Liang Xiao was young and wealthy, but not familiar with romantic matters. Having sized him up, she smiled and asked: "Young master, what kind of girl would you like to see?"

  Liang Xiao saw the old procuress pretending to be dignified, and initially felt a bit displeased. He casually said: "Alright, Auntie." The old procuress heard him call her "Auntie", slightly taken aback, covered her mouth and let out a string of laughter. Liang Xiao was made to blush by her smile, without knowing why.

  The old woman smiled to herself for a while, seeing Liang Xiao's embarrassed expression, and quickly said: "Everyone has a hard life, it's rare to have a good laugh in a year, thanks to the young master's sweet mouth, making me happy." She was good at flattering, Liang Xiao felt comfortable listening to her, and thought he had really said something good, so he said: "Auntie is being polite."

  The old procuress was smiling and laughing, but in her heart she looked down on Liang Xiao by 90%, secretly coldly laughing, calculating how much oil and water she could squeeze out of this little boy. She waved her handkerchief and called out a few young women to come out, surrounding Liang Xiao and chatting and laughing with him. At first, Liang Xiao glanced at these women from afar, they were all radiant and beautiful, like a bouquet of flowers; but when he took a closer look, each one was heavily made up, their words and laughter full of hypocrisy.

  The young woman looked at him with a mixture of annoyance and concern, and hastily smiled: "Everyone stop talking, let's sing a song!" Liang Xiao was also feeling annoyed, and said: "Good idea, let's hear some music." The women all laughed, and brought out the instruments, starting to play and sing. Only one woman in pink clothing sang with a melancholic tone: "Leaning against the railing of a tall building, the wind is gentle, looking out at the distant horizon, my springtime sorrows are vague and endless. In the fading light of day, where the grass and trees meet the sky, who can understand my feelings as I lean against the railing? I'd like to use my carefree nature to get drunk, and sing a song to drown my sorrows, but even strong liquor has no flavor. My belt is getting looser, but I won't regret it, for her sake, I'll waste away until I'm thin and haggard."

  This is a famous piece by Liu Yong, a great poet of the Northern Song Dynasty. The singing voice of the woman in pink clothes is flat and plain, but it also moves people's thoughts and breaks their hearts. When Liang Xiao heard the two sentences "The belt gradually widens, never regretting, for her I am worn out", he secretly felt a pang in his heart, his eyes reddened, and he almost shed tears.

  The woman in pink finished singing, leaned close to Liang Xiao and smiled: "Please reward the young master." Liang Xiao was startled, remembering Ming Gui's words, stretched out his hand to touch the money bag at his waist, but unexpectedly couldn't pull it out. The madam saw this, opened her mouth and laughed: "Young master, don't be stingy, just give a few coins, so sisters can buy some fruit to quench their thirst after singing."

  Liang Xiao stuck his hands in his waist, with a very strange air. The madam couldn't bear it and laughed: "Young master, is your eyesight high, are you dissatisfied with these sisters?" Liang Xiao hastily said: "It's not that, I'm going out for a bit, I'll be right back." The madam's heart was suspicious, her face turned white, and she intercepted him saying: "Young master listened to the music and left just like that?" Liang Xiao's face turned red, his forehead bulged with blue veins, and he urgently said: "It's not that, this...this..." He stretched out his hand to push away the madam. The woman who had been through many hardships grabbed his sleeve and laughed: "Young master spare some, one or two silver coins, it can also make us sisters anticipate and satisfy our hunger..."

  Liang Xiao's heart was in a mess, and he said: "Auntie, I'll be right back, don't stop me." The madam grabbed him and wouldn't let go, suddenly shouting loudly: "Ah, young master, you're so refined, but your behavior is unbecoming..." Before she finished speaking, a clear and crisp voice laughed from above: "Madam, you're wrong, he's not unbecoming, he just has no money." Everyone looked up to see a woman in green clothes sitting on the lacquered beam, wearing a willow hat, with a water-green shirt that reached down to her knees, two slender legs swinging back and forth, and a pair of light green boots with golden silk finches embroidered on them.

  Liang Xiao suddenly remembered that he had brushed past this woman before entering the building, and exclaimed: "Hey! You... you stole my wallet?" The woman giggled and said: "You little rascal, your life is quite smooth, but your words are not measured. How can a girl like me steal things? That's called taking without asking."

  Liang Xiao angrily said: "Bullshit." Then he felt a chill, the woman had stolen his wallet, and he hadn't even noticed, her technique was so good that it was as if ghosts and spirits were unaware.

  The girl didn't get annoyed, but smiled and said: "Let's talk about it again. The silver in your money bag isn't much either. Two or three hundred taels of silver can only be enough for me to quench my thirst by gazing at the plum blossoms and fill my hunger with painted cakes." She repeated the old procuress' words with some slight changes, her tone was exactly the same, but her voice was ten times clearer, like a gentle oriole chirping or a delicate eyebrow's smile.

  Liango's anger was uncontrollable, he pushed the old prostitute away and kicked towards the beam. Just as he heard a chuckle, a green shadow flashed before his eyes, Liango hadn't even reacted yet when he felt a sharp pain on his forehead, it hurt so much that he almost fell to the ground. He had no choice but to fall back down, touching his forehead, and found an additional thick blood stain.

  The woman sat on the beam, stroking a green willow branch with her hand, probably plucked from the willow hat, and said with a gentle smile: "Little rascal, you must have been without a mother since childhood, and lost your upbringing. Today I'll take the place of your mother to discipline you, ah, my child, does it hurt?"

  Liang Xiao had always been calm and composed, but she was provoked by her for no reason, and he was already furious. These two sentences pierced his heart, and he couldn't help but grab two long benches and throw them at the beam with all his might. The woman kicked the benches flying with her feet and laughed: "Good, you're asking for it, watch me beat you up!" She pressed her hand on the wooden beam and floated down gently. Liang Xiao watched her fall and rushed forward, wanting to take advantage of her body being in mid-air and kill her before she could react.

  The green-clad woman let out a "hee" and smiled, not waiting for Liang Xiao to get close. She shook out the long willow branch, wrapped it around the window frame, and with a flick of her wrist, she lightly floated three feet away, avoiding Liang Xiao's attack. With a "ting" sound, she laughed and said: "I'll beat you, this little scoundrel, and dirty the young lady's hands." She floated gently out the window and descended into the street.

  Liang Xiao saw her exquisite movements, his heart skipped a beat, he couldn't swallow this bad breath, and followed her out the window. The woman was in mid-air, sensing Liang Xiao's pursuit, let out a laugh, whistled, and only heard the sound of horse hooves, a white horse burst out from the street corner, steadily holding her up. The green-clothed woman rode the horse out for several dozen feet, turned her head and laughed: "Little lecher, you're coming after me?"

  Liang Xiao was a step late, landing on the ground, and shouted: "Chase if you dare! Are you afraid?" The green-clothed woman laughed and said: "Be careful not to break your dog legs." As she spoke, she rode her horse forward, and the pedestrians were shocked and dodged. Unexpectedly, the green-clothed woman's riding skills were exceptional, and the white horse was extremely agile, avoiding objects and jumping over people in the narrow alleys, without knocking over a single person or object.

  Liang Xiao rushed out for about twenty yards, and suddenly heard the white horse at the other end of the street let out a long whinny. He immediately lost sight of it. Chasing to the corner, he looked around but saw no horse. Feeling frustrated, he grabbed a milk cake vendor and questioned him, only to learn that the horse had gone east. Continuing his pursuit in an easterly direction, he ran for two miles before catching sight of the woman in green clothes riding her horse at a leisurely pace towards the head of a stone bridge. Liang Xiao rushed up on foot, still three yards away, when the woman in green saw him and laughed, saying: "You little scamp, don't you ever give up?"

  Liang Xiao let out a loud hum, and quickly ran away. The green-clothed woman smiled lightly, picked up the reins, and the white horse understood, standing up on its hind legs, its four hooves gathered together, flying over the five-zhang-wide river like a shooting star, landing on the opposite bank, without even stopping for a moment, it darted into an alleyway.

  Liang Xiao stared blankly, but didn't give up. He turned seven bends and eight turns to exit the alley, only to see a long street stretching east-west. Both sides were lined with shops, brocades, golden pearls, and sparkling jewels. There were also many Taihu fish and shrimp, jumping and wriggling as they were hawked along the street.

  Liang Xiao looked around, and suddenly his eyes lit up. The white horse was mixed in with a group of horses, resting on the street, next to which stood a tall and majestic wine tower built overlooking the water.

  Liang Xiao rushed to the front of the building, only to hear the green-clad woman laughing and saying: "Little rascal, you're quite fast!" Liang Xiao took a closer look and saw that the woman was sitting in front of the window overlooking the river, with one hand supporting her cheek and the other playing with the willow leaves on her hat. Seeing that there were many people inside the building, and being called "little rascal" by her, he couldn't help but retort: "You little thief, why do you always call me a little rascal?"

  The woman in green laughed and said, "You have no shame, soliciting prostitutes on the street. What are you if not a little rascal?" She deliberately tried to embarrass Liang Xiao, speaking very loudly, and the men in the building turned their heads to look over, smiling at the corners of their mouths, with deep meaning in their eyes. Liang Xiao was baffled, his ears unknowingly growing hot.

  Suddenly, a loud voice laughed and said: "Miss, your words are wrong. If one is not romantic in his youth, this young man is still in his prime, and it's perfectly fine for him to be infatuated with prostitutes on the street!" Liang Xiao felt grateful in her heart, and turned to look around, seeing a dozen robust men sitting at two tables by the corner of the building. They were all dressed in tight-fitting clothes, with full beards and mustaches, and had quivers of hard bows and arrows by their sides, exuding an air of murder. The speaker was a middle-aged man, tall and large in stature, standing out among the crowd even when seated. He wore a blue-green brocade cloak with a tiger-like gaze and leopard-like whiskers, his eyebrows flying into his temples, and deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, giving off an air of having weathered many storms.

  The green-clad woman gave the man a cold glance and said, "Mind your own business." Her voice was like silver bells, and even when scolding someone, it sounded pleasant. The men all showed anger, but the blue-robed man smiled: "Alright, let's just say that Miss Yan is being too mouthy. But what does it have to do with you when others are flirting?" The green-clad woman sneered: "The road is uneven because someone has been trampled on. Hmph, you stinky men think that just because you have a bit of money, you can treat women like they're not human." The blue-robed man smiled and said: "Not so, from ancient times, heaven is revered and earth is humble, there are differences between men and women. If women fall into the world of prostitution, it's also fate." The green-clad woman sneered: "How interesting, why don't you go tell your mother these words?"

  This remark was extremely vicious, and the blue-robed man's good breeding couldn't help but change his expression. A man beside him shouted sternly: "How dare you!" The green-clad woman sneered coldly: "How dare I? Humph, I'd rather be a vagabond or a beggar - no matter what I do, it's still better than your farting around."

  She hadn't finished speaking, and the faces of the men had already turned green with rage. Several people made a move to stand up, but the man in blue robes waved his hand and said with a smile: "Forget it, we are dignified men, we can't stoop to the level of these little women." Having said that, he picked up his wine cup and drank a whole bowl by himself. The others saw their leader do this and had no choice but to sit back down.

  The woman in green was originally waiting with a stern expression, but when she saw the other party soften up, she felt triumphant. She then turned to Liang Xiao and said: "Little scoundrel, are you a real man or not? Do you want to have a taste of what it's like to deal with this little woman?" Liang Xiao listened to the two of them bickering, and in his heart he didn't entirely agree with the blue-robed man's words either. He hesitated for a moment, but when he heard the woman in green provoke him like that, he felt unable to bear it any longer. Seeing that the room was cramped, he said: "If you have what it takes, let's go outside and not ruin someone else's furniture."

  The green-clad woman laughed and said, "Why don't you come in? You're blocking the door like that, others will think you're squatting to watch the door!" Liang Xiao grunted, suddenly furious: "Squatting to watch the door, isn't that cursing me as a watchdog?" He rushed into the room, dashing to the green-clad woman's table.

  The woman in green didn't wait for him to make a move, smiling and saying: "Don't panic, I want to drink now, not fight!" Liang Xiao thought: "Are you allowed to?" He stretched out his hand and heavily slapped the table: "First return my money bag, other accounts will be settled later." The woman in green smiled and said: "You accompany me for a few cups of wine, and I'll return your money bag." Liang Xiao looked at her calm and unhurried demeanor, getting angrier, but looking at her charming and delicate appearance, he felt it was not worth winning, hesitating. Suddenly, the man in blue robes laughed and said: "Young brother, drink if you want to, with a woman accompanying you, it's very enjoyable!" The woman in green smiled and nodded: "Right, with a man accompanying you, it's even more enjoyable." The man in blue robes also remained calm, smiling silently, and downed the strong liquor in his hand.

  Liang Xiao thought to himself, "This thieving girl is so cheerful and talkative, if I hastily take action, won't she look down on me?" He sat back down, calming himself. The green-clothed woman laughed and said, "Now you're listening." She ordered a pot of wine, filled Liang Xiao's cup to the brim, and said, "Please, have some." After finishing her drink in one gulp, she poured another cup and laughed, saying, "Partner, does your shop have any wooden clappers?" The shopkeeper smiled and replied, "Of course! Our humble shop has fine wine, delicious dishes, and all sorts of musical instruments." He turned around and brought out a pair of red wooden clappers, handing them to the green-clothed woman. She then handed them to Liang Xiao. Liang Xiao was perplexed, but took the clappers in his hand and asked, "What's this for? Are you lending me these to hit your butt?"

  The woman in green let out a "hmmph" and then laughed: "Little scamp, you've had a drink with the young lady, now sing another tune for her to hear, to dispel her worries. Hmm, just sing that one... 'Though my sash may gradually loosen, I'll never regret it, for her I'll waste away till I'm thin and haggard'..." The man in blue heard this and let out a cold laugh, saying loudly: "What a vicious little wench!"

  Liang Xiao stood up, folding the toothpick into four segments, and shouted: "You thief girl, do you really think I don't dare to beat you?" The green-clothed woman sat still: "What's wrong? You can get those girls to accompany wine and sing to please you, why can't I get you to accompany wine and sing? Will you sing or not? If you don't sing, don't even think about getting your money bag back." Liang Xiao was so angry that his teeth itched, just as he was about to erupt, suddenly a hoarse voice outside the building said: "Master, this is 'Drunken but Not Returning to the Building'!"

  Liang Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but look up. In front of the door stood a red-robed Taoist, who was none other than Huo Zhenren. Beside him were Tuo Huan, Harris, and A Tan. Liang Xiao thought to himself: "Enemies meet on a narrow road, one against four, this is going to be trouble." He looked around, thinking of a way to retreat.

  The green-clothed woman thought that Liang Xiao would definitely get angry, so she secretly prepared for a big fight. But to her surprise, Liang Xiao just lowered his head and remained silent, not saying a word. She found it strange, but thought that Liang Xiao was at fault and had nothing to say in return. She couldn't help but laugh and said: "Forget it, you little rascal! Today I'm in a good mood, so I'll let you off this time. Otherwise, humph, I'd throw you into Taihu Lake to feed the turtles!"

  Liang Xiao raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "What's the point of being filial to a turtle?" The green-clad woman snorted and said, "Fine, you dare to curse me in a roundabout way?" Liang Xiao said, "I said it's not your grandfather, how did I curse you? Could it be that it really is your grandfather?" The green-clad woman angrily said, "Who's the turtle grandson?" Liang Xiao smiled and said, "You're not a turtle grandson, you're a turtle granddaughter." When the green-clad woman had the upper hand, she was elegant and composed, but once she lost her temper, she became extremely agitated, slamming her fist on the table and coldly shouting, "You little rascal, you've lived long enough?" Just as she was about to take action, a horse's whinny came from outside the store. The green-clad woman's slender body trembled slightly, and she forgot about Liang Xiao, rushing out of the store while calling out, "Who touched my horse?"

  Look at that white horse's extraordinary strength, let A Dun pull it over to take a closer look. Who knew the white horse had such incredible energy, A Dun pulled with all his might but couldn't hold on. Just as A Dun was about to use his strength again, he suddenly saw a green shadow flash by, and a woman in green stood in front of him with her hands on her hips.

  "Ah, it's the young lady's horse! Haha, I thought this horse was unattended and a wild one!" The Mongolians conquered the world with their horsemanship and archery skills, and they loved fine horses. As a member of the imperial family, Temur was no exception. However, he couldn't just take the horse by force in broad daylight, so he glanced at the white horse, swallowed his saliva, and exclaimed, "What a great horse! What a great horse!" He chuckled twice and led his subordinates into the house. As they entered, he caught sight of the man in blue robes, raised an eyebrow in surprise, and then seemed to ignore him, sitting down on one side. The man in blue robes didn't lift an eyebrow or move his eyes, only continuing to drink from his bowl.

  The green-clad woman waited for the four to enter, hugging the white horse's neck and whispering: "Rouge, have you been bullied by bad people? Wait for me to avenge you!" Turning around, she suddenly saw Liang Xiao rushing out of the door, shouting: "Want to escape?" The green-clad woman was already furious, angrily saying: "Little scoundrel, get away!" With a flick of her sleeve, Liang Xiao felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. "Ah" he cried out, retreating half a step and stuttering: "You... you're secretly attacking people!"

  The green-clothed woman sneered, "You're lucky you didn't freeze to death. Hmph, I'll turn you into an ice stick and see if you still dare to chatter!" Liang Xiao was furious, raising his arm to strike, when suddenly a hand reached out and held him back. Liang Xiao turned around to see that it was Ming Gui. Liang Xiao said, "Ming Lao, you're here too? Why won't you let me teach her a lesson?" Ming Gui smiled, "Her move just now was the 'Ice River Mysterious Skill'. If you really fought, you wouldn't be her match." The green-clothed woman heard this and turned around to sneer, "This old man has some insight!" Ming Gui smiled slightly and pulled Liang Xiao down to sit beside him. It turned out that he had secretly followed them, not revealing himself until he saw the green-clothed woman's skills, fearing Liang Xiao would get hurt, before intervening.

  Liang Xiao was unhappy in her heart, but she was held down by Minggui's hand and couldn't move. Just as she felt suffocated, the green-clothed woman walked up to Tuo Huan with big strides and sat down beside him, thinking: "This thief wants to find trouble for this dog king! Humph, a dog biting another dog is just a mouthful of fur."

  Tuo Huan called out to the young waiter, laughing and saying: "Since your place is named 'Drunkenness Doesn't Return Building', then you must have good wine?" The young waiter bowed at the waist and smiled, saying: "We don't lack good wine, but I don't know if the guest wants to drink ordinary good wine or extremely beautiful wine." Tuo Huan was surprised and said: "I've only heard of extremely good beautiful wine. What's special about this 'extremely beautiful' wine?"

  The young waiter smiled and said, "This exquisite wine is named after a beautiful woman, nicknamed 'Five Beauties Wine'!" Du Huan clapped his hands and laughed, saying, "Wonderful! I've only heard of the 'Five Great Pines' on Mount Tai, but this is the first time I've heard of 'Five Beauties Wine'. Drinking wine while appreciating beauties, haha, what a thrill! However, those 'Five Great Pines' once blocked the rain for Qin Shi Huang and got their name from that. What's the story behind this 'Five Beauties Wine'?" The young waiter smiled and said, "There's nothing particularly special about it. This wine was brewed using the same recipe as Shaoxing's 'Girl Red', but unlike the 'Girl Red' brewed eighteen years ago, this 'Five Beauties Wine' has been brewed for five times eighteen years. Isn't that just like five beautiful young women waiting to be married?"

  Originally, in Jiangnan customs, when a daughter was born, they would brew several jars of wine and store them underground. When the girl grew up and got married, they would dig out the wine and share it with guests to celebrate. That's why the usual brewing period is eighteen years. Tuo Huan had lived in the north for a long time and didn't know what "Niang Er Hong" was, but he pretended to understand and clapped his hands in praise. Suddenly, he heard a green-clad woman coldly say: "Five times eighteen years would make her a ninety-year-old old lady! I think it should be called 'Old Lady Wine' instead!"

  "Miss, you don't know this, but good wine is aged, while women are best when young, just like you. You're the kind that men adore!" He thought his words were brilliant and couldn't help but wave his fan and laugh triumphantly.

  The shopkeeper brought up a jug of "Five Beauties Wine" and before he even approached, the intoxicating aroma had already spread. As he passed by the green-clad woman, she suddenly stretched out her foot, and the shopkeeper, not noticing, tripped and the wine tray flew out of his hands. The green-clad woman quickly reached out and snatched the wine jug into her own hands. The shopkeeper got up, both startled and angry, and loudly shouted: "Lady customer, what are you doing?!"

  The woman in green said, "This wine is only allowed for men to drink, but not me?" The shopkeeper said strangely, "You, you didn't instruct us before!" The woman in green said, "I didn't want to drink it just now, but I do now!" The shopkeeper was anxious and stuttered, "C-customer, y-you're being unreasonable!"

  He pretended to be magnanimous and waved his fan, laughing: "No need, no need, this jug of wine is on me for the young lady's sake. Let's all just get along!" The woman in green stroked the wine jug and laughed: "Who wants to be friends with you? I'm not drinking anymore, take it away!" With a flick of her wrist, the wine jug flew towards Ah Dan.

  Atan saw the momentum was strong and urgent, slightly coldly smiled, and reached out to catch it. Unexpectedly, the wine jug shattered into several pieces and flew open in all directions. Atan feared being splashed by the wine and losing face, so he hastily changed his palm to a fist, pinched an incantation, and pushed it out. If it were ordinary wine, this punch would disperse it without harming anyone. However, Atan's punch happened to hit a block of ice. The ice shattered and splashed everywhere, and the four people at the table didn't have time to dodge. The ice shards splashed onto their skin, causing a fiery pain that stung like needles.

  The green-robed woman's "Ice River Mysterious Skill" could turn water into ice. She snatched the wine jug from her companion's hand, and with a smile, she manipulated her internal energy to turn the wine into ice, shattering the ceramic jug. Then, with a wave of her palm, it suddenly broke into four or five pieces. Ah Dun was unaware of what had happened and suffered a secret loss.

  The green-clad woman cackled with glee, saying "How's the taste of 'Frozen Old Hag'?" As she spoke, she sprang into the air and made a run for the door. Suddenly, a figure flashed before her eyes, and Liang Xiao blocked her path. The green-clad woman hadn't expected him to interfere, and her anger was boiling over. She shouted "Good dog, don't block my way!" and launched the "Flowing Wind and Returning Snow" technique, striking out with a fluttering motion.

  Ming Gui shouted: "Be careful, kid, this is the Tian Shan 'Snow God Palm'!" Liang Xiao, having suffered a loss before, hastily used his "Plum Blossom Step" to dodge the palm wind and laughed: "Good dogs watch the door, bad dogs bite people!" The green-shirted woman cursed: "You're the mangy dog! Quickly get out of the way!"

  Liang Xiao laughed and said, "A mangy dog is just a mangy dog!" He dodged her palm strike, stumbled forward, and fell. This was the "People's Hearts are in a State of Panic" move from the Three Talents Returning to the Origin Palm. The green-clothed woman was caught off guard and almost had him rush into her arms. She hastily retreated. Liang Xiao took advantage of the momentum and rolled on the ground, and the green-clothed woman lifted her leg to kick him, shouting, "I'll kick this drowning dog!"

  Liang Xiao's roll was not an ordinary rolling technique, but rather the "Candle Dragon Enters Slumber" from the Stone Array Martial Arts' "Great Spirit Realm". The Candle Dragon is a great god that governs the alternation of day and night, hidden deep within the Nine Abysses, with its eyes open as daytime and closed as nighttime. This rolling move concealed a killing intent. The green-clothed woman had just stepped out when she felt her lower legs being enveloped, and hastily withdrew them.

  Li Shuo burst out laughing, transforming into "Chen Yun's High Slumber", "Zhong Li's Drunken Pillow", "Zhuangzi's Butterfly Dream" and "Shi Ga's Entry into Nirvana". He rolled around on the ground like a dragon or snake. The green-clothed woman couldn't kick him, nor could she hit him, and she certainly couldn't roll around with him. For a moment, she truly didn't know how to deal with this rascal's martial arts.

  Tuo Huan had already led the crowd to surround them. Liang Xiao was still a child six years ago, but now he has grown tall and his appearance has changed, so the four of them couldn't recognize him at first glance. Seeing Liang Xiao make his move, they took care of their own identities and watched with folded arms. They were all experts in the field, seeing this, they felt a chill in their hearts: "This kid's moves are deceitful and unscrupulous, but in fact, they are all top-notch martial arts skills. Unfortunately, his strength is insufficient, otherwise, Xiaotou would have lost long ago."

  The green-clothed woman was forced to spin around by Liang Xiao's unscrupulous martial arts, gasping for breath, and jumped back, shouting: "If you have the ability, stand up and fight! Don't use this despicable dog fist!" Liang Xiao said: "Good!" Smiling, he supported his left palm, with both feet as the axis, his upper body leaving the ground, whirling around, instantly changing from a prone position to standing upright.

  This move was Xiao Qian's "Top Skill", like a child playing with a top, the top first lies down, after two lashes, it stands upright. Everyone saw Liang Xiao reveal this trick, regardless of friend or foe, felt fresh and interesting, and cheered in unison.

  Liang Xiao chuckled and made a bow, but suddenly saw Tuo Huan and others. He thought to himself: "This won't do, I was so focused on fighting with that thief girl, if I block her way, wouldn't I be helping these evil people?" The green-clothed woman found his martial arts interesting and couldn't help but laugh out loud, following up with a tease: "Can dogs even stand upright?" Liang Xiao smiled and said: "I forgot!" Pretending to lie down again. The green-clothed woman hastily shouted: "Don't be lazy!" Afraid he would use another "Lazy Dog Fist", she quickly used the move "Snowy Swallow Mountain", slapping her palm downwards, this move was full of energy, Liang Xiao's clothes and hair were all blown back by her palm force.

  Everyone saw this momentum and only then knew that the green-clothed woman had not used her full strength earlier, and now she was using her lifelong ultimate skill. Ming Gui also stood up, frowning. Liang Xiao calmly smiled: "Cool, cool!" He made a move "Heavenly Rotation" to meet the palm wind flying around.

  In an instant, the green-robed woman circled around Liang Xiao and swiftly moved, her palms dancing like snow in the wind, striking six consecutive palm strikes. Liang Xiao also countered with six palm strikes, but the green-robed woman only felt that his palm force contained a hidden energy similar to her own internal energy, and her heart skipped a beat: "This kid also knows 'Snowflake Divine Palm'?" She didn't know that this move "Heavenly Rotation" was best at borrowing force, and her own ten percent of palm force had been deflected by two percent, which he then sent back along the original trajectory.

  The two of them fought as they retreated, and in an instant, they had backed all the way to Huo Zhenren's position. The green-robed woman grew more enraged with each blow, and by the seventh palm strike, she had gathered all her lifelong energy, just about to unleash it when suddenly she heard a "ting" of laughter from Liang Xiao, and before her eyes could focus, that little scamp was nowhere to be seen; however, her palm force couldn't be reined in, and it shot straight towards Huo Zhenren. The green-robed woman's thoughts whirled rapidly, and she took advantage of the situation to dash out with a grasping palm.

  Huoren was guarding the gate to prevent the green-robed woman from escaping, but instead he felt a great surprise and welcomed her with open arms. In his haste, he only managed to muster less than 40% of his internal energy. He suddenly felt his opponent's inner strength was like an icy blade or snowy sword, and before he could react, he let out a cry of "Ah ya!" as he was sent flying backward in a somersault. Even though he was known for his fierce "Fire" skills, this one palm strike had extinguished him, leaving his face deathly pale and his teeth chattering uncontrollably with a "de de de" sound.

  The green-clad woman burst through the door with a single palm strike, leapt out of the doorway, and let out a hearty laugh. Just as she was about to mount her horse, she suddenly heard a shout of "Halt!" beside her ear, and Abtan's fist flew towards her. The green-clad woman was startled, ducked down to avoid it, and suddenly saw a figure flashing before her eyes - Harris's diamond-studded fist shone with a dazzling light.

  The green-robed woman swung her palm and missed, then retreated. But unexpectedly, Harris used his "Ancient Yoga" technique, causing his arm to suddenly lengthen by half a foot, with his fist only an inch from her nose tip. The green-robed woman was startled and jumped back with all her might. Abtan's "Bright King Seal" struck the back of her neck instead. The two of them disregarded their identities and attacked from both sides, while the green-robed woman couldn't distinguish reality from illusion, and in an instant, she was forced into a desperate situation. In her panic, she heard a soft laugh by her ear, and her wrist was grabbed tightly as Liang Xiao pulled her to one side. The green-robed woman's heart was in disarray, unable to regain her composure, and unexpectedly tumbled headfirst into his embrace.

  Liang Xiao didn't expect her to be so fierce, fearing she would take advantage of the situation, he hastily jumped back. Suddenly, he heard a burst of exclamations from the crowd, and when he looked down, his heart skipped a beat, his eyes fixed on the green-clad woman, unable to look away.

  The green-clad woman's willow hat had been knocked off, revealing a bright and unparalleled face. Liang Xiao had seen many beauties before, but compared to this woman, they all paled in comparison. It was as if the world's spiritual energy had been monopolized by her, leaving only half for other women to share. Everyone around them held their breath, their souls flying out of their bodies, while the green-clad woman was overwhelmed with shame and anger, slapping Liang Xiao across the face. Liang Xiao dodged and countered with a burst of energy, rendering the green-clad woman numb and helpless, who shouted: "You little scoundrel, let me go!" Liang Xiao sneered: "Can you just be let go by saying so?"

  He had never seen a beauty like the green-clad girl, and his three souls and six spirits were easily captured. He hastily made eye contact with Atan and Harris. The two understood, and simultaneously rushed up, one attacking Liang Xiao, the other snatching the green-clad girl. Unexpectedly, Liang Xiao's eyes flickered, and he suddenly let go. The green-clad girl saw Harris' claw descending, and without hesitation, her left palm circled out, deflecting Harris' claw, while her right palm swung out, slapping his chest.

  Harris was caught off guard, never expecting Liang Xiao to let go of the beauty in his grasp. But as a chill swept over him, he turned pale with fright and before he could change his move, Liang Xiao suddenly broke free from Atan and pounced on him like lightning. Harris found himself under attack from both sides, and before he could even counter the green-clad woman's exquisite palm technique, he was struck by Liang Xiao's "Three Talents Returning to the Origin" in the small of his abdomen. He quickly adapted with incredible speed, using his "Ancient Yoga" to arch his waist and abdomen, dissipating half of Liang Xiao's palm force. However, the green-clad woman's palm ultimately could not be avoided, and her body flew out horizontally, crashing into the Eight Immortals' table with a loud "crash", reducing it to powder, and leaving a layer of fresh blood on her pale face.

  Atan saw Harris injured and was in a panic, while Liang Xiao and the green-clothed woman attacked together. He fought against two opponents, encountering dangerous moves one after another. The green-clothed woman felt relieved and laughed, saying: "You little rascal, you're even more cunning than a ghost! First, you tricked me into hurting the Taoist priest, then you designed to kill that yellow-haired man without him being prepared. You're going to get beaten up, and I won't stop until this monk is dead!" Liang Xiao laughed and said: "You're not stupid either, you little demon. Otherwise, I would have already given my charming eyes to the blind man!"

  The woman in green let out a "hiss" and scolded, "Still batting your eyelashes! You're indeed a little rascal." As she spoke, she couldn't help but giggle, her laughter ringing out like the blossoming of flowers and the rippling of clear water. The crowd of onlookers was enchanted, their spirits wavering uncontrollably.

  The true man's cold air went more than half, and he fixed his eyes on the treasure sword on Liang Xiao's back. His face changed, and he blurted out: "Little rabbit, it turns out that..." Before he could finish speaking, Ah Tan was also hit by Liang Xiao's "Three Talents Return to the Origin" and slanted out. Unexpectedly, the green-clothed woman guarded one side, and her back was hit again by a move of "Snow-filled Swallow Mountain", a mouthful of blood arrows flew out, and she tumbled about, "plop" fell into the river.

  Tuo Huan and his men tried to steal the rice, but were caught by the three guards. They were so scared that their faces turned green. However, they saw that Huo Zhenren still had some strength left, and quickly said: "Huo Zhenren, protect us!" Huo Zhenren puffed out his chest, stood up straight with his sword in hand, and said: "Does the master still recognize this young man?" As soon as he said this, Tuo Huan also recognized Liang Xiao. He was both regretful and angry: "If I had known it was him earlier, we would have all attacked together and torn him to pieces. How could he have defeated us one by one?"

  The woman in green clapped her hands and laughed: "Wonderful! Four folds, three are gone, leaving one. You little rascal, you play with him yourself, I'm not going to join in!" She said, walking towards the rouge horse. Liang Xiao rushed up a step, blocking her way: "Now that no one is in the way, it's just right for us to settle accounts. Want to slip away? Humph, even if you move the ladder to heaven, there's no door!"

  The woman in green clothes raised an eyebrow and sneered, "What's the calculation for settling accounts?" Liang Xiao said, "We'll settle it fairly. You stole my money bag, you have to return it. You hit me with a whip, I'll hit you back with a whip!" The woman in green clothes angrily said, "You're thinking too beautifully!" The two of them refused to give in, glaring at each other. Tuo Huan and the others had wanted to slip away, but seeing that they were having an internal conflict again, they stopped to watch, all thinking, "If these two fight and both get hurt, that would be best." Huo Zhenren readied two hidden weapons, waiting for the two of them to make a move before launching a sneak attack from the side.

  Ming Gui smiled and asked, "Miss, are you surnamed Han?" The green-clothed woman looked at him with a hint of surprise: "Who said I was surnamed Han?" Ming Gui smiled and said, "I'm just asking casually. Miss, since you came out of the Heavenly Mountain, you must have some connection with 'Snow Fox' Han Ningzi!"

  The woman in green snorted, "You know my aunt? Well, where is she?" Minggui furrowed his brow, "What a coincidence, I'm also looking for her." The woman's face fell, and she let out a soft hum.

  The crowd surrounded her in at least ten layers, with everyone staring intently at the green-clothed woman. The green-clothed woman felt uneasy, slightly lifted her toes, and put on a willow hat. The crowd suddenly felt "dark clouds covering the sun, wind destroying hundreds of flowers", and several hundred men sighed in unison, which was quite spectacular. The green-clothed woman stamped her foot and said: "Little rascal, if you don't let me pass, don't blame me for being ruthless." Liang Xiao held his hands together, slightly coldly smiling.

  Everyone saw this and couldn't help but feel a sense of justice, a scholar jumped out, pointing at Liang Xiao and shouting loudly: "You are also a man with a beard, six feet tall, how can you bully a weak woman! I want to take you to see the official...... Ah yo......" In the midst of the shrill cry, the scholar was lightly grasped by Liang Xiao's heart, lifted over his head, and shouted: "Go!" With a splash, he was thrown into the Suzhou River. Everyone saw this and those who wanted to intervene were all intimidated.

  Suddenly, a bell rang out, the first sound had not yet faded when the second one started, the previous sound overlapping with the next, each one higher than the last. In an instant, it was as if over ten large bells were ringing out simultaneously in Suzhou City. Liang Xiao's heart was unsettled upon hearing this, he turned his head to look and saw that the crowd behind him had scattered like a pot of boiling water had exploded, making way for a wide path. Amidst this, an enormous bronze bell eight feet in diameter and twenty feet tall grew a pair of long legs and came running towards them.